Nehru''s blunder led to loss of J&K territory

20 September 2002The Pioneer

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday blamed ''Nehruvian blunder'' for the loss of 54 per cent of Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan and China. BJP general secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi sharply criticised Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for her statement that unconditional talks should be held with separatist elements in Kashmir. ''Such statements would definitely promote separatism and terrorism in the State,'' he said. Mr Naqvi told mediapersons that the Congress was frustrated over its inability to make even a marginal presence in the free and fair elections being held in the State. ''Ms Gandhi''s accusation that the BJP and Pakistan have the same policy on J&K only showed her ignorance of Indian politics,'' Mr Naqvi said, adding that the Congress president cannot distinguish between the policies of Nehru and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. He said the BJP and the erstwhile Bharatiya Jan Sangh had always maintained Jammu and Kashmir was part and parcel of India and had opposed constitutional restrictions imposed by the Congress government in the State. ''It was the Nehruvian blunder that led to the acceptance of Pakistan''s view in a now redundant resolution of the United Nations,'' he said. Mr Naqvi said India, under the Congress regime, lost territorial control of about 37 per cent of Kashmir to Pakistan and 17 per cent to China. ''Our national aspiration today is to make every inch of J&K part of India'', he said. The NDA government headed by Mr Vajpayee was successful in making cross-border terrorism an international issue, he said.